Above the sea, the finger of Light that had pierced Neo's chest slowly lifted, pulling free of his body before rising a short distance higher, its tip pointing straight down.
The sight looked very much like a divine designation.
Like the final component of a ritual, once it was set in place, the rite was complete.
Then, the finger dissolved, turning into a final speck of radiance that sank back into Neo's body.
The awakening was over.
Karen opened his eyes and looked around, discovering that the source of contamination that would normally have brewed had vanished completely. What was more, the contamination from that cavern back in Wien had also been cleaned up along with it—an impressively thorough, environmentally friendly sweep.
Neo slowly opened his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, there was a sudden splash, and he plunged straight into the sea.
At first, Karen subconsciously assumed Neo simply wanted to take a bath to cool his head, but he quickly realized that was not the case.
A moment later, a chain of Order hauled Neo out of the water. Drenched from head to toe, he cut an exceedingly wretched figure.
Brushing his wet hair aside with one hand, he cursed, "Fuck!"
Karen smiled. "Congratulations."
"Heh."
Neo let out two cold chuckles.
"I'll have people arrange your purification as soon as possible."
"That sounds like you're arranging someone to change my diapers."
"Whatever you like to call it. We all went through it."
Neo was now just like Karen had been after emerging from the cavern of contamination—he had returned to being an ordinary mortal.
He would have to progress once more through the stages of God's Servant, God's Revelation, God's Shepherd...
"It won't take me long. I'll see if I can break your record."
"I'm sure you can. But I'd still advise you not to pursue speed alone. Since you have a second chance to start over, you should focus on quality.
"I'll tell Alfred to tear down a few more strongholds of the Light remnants and snatch a divine artifact of Light to build an altar for your purification ritual."
"Look at how you've changed. Just listen to that tone and posture—the repulsive face of a high-and-mighty ruler holding supreme authority."
"I learned it from you."
With that, Karen waved to Little Kanna. She tucked away her little backpack, then carried Karen, Neo, Purr, and the others on her back as she flew toward Wien.
Dusk had fallen over Wien, and the setting sun cast a golden glow across the horizon.
Kevin lay quietly on the dragon's back, resting right at the intersection of the two men's shadows elongated by the sunset, gazing at the two figures standing upon the dragon's head.
He found this spot exceptional, wonderfully suited to himself.
One of Order, one of Light...
Kevin looked forward to it. He wondered what expressions the gods would wear when they returned, only to find these two barring their way.
Still, the greatest problem right now was... time.
Gradually, Kevin's gaze grew grave.
An era was like a thick book, yet people only ever cared about the hard covers at the front and back, merely skimming through the contents in between.
When this era closed, would these two be able to grow high enough, would they have the strength to support the cover of the next era?
Yet how could that time be bought, and by whom?
***
"Thank you for your hard work, commanders."
"For Order."
"For Order."
Cardinal Krede bowed to the three awakened commanders, and the three returned the salute.
Together, they had formulated a rigorous and detailed operational battle plan, which meant their mission was complete.
Carrying the plan, Krede left to report to the High Priest, while the three commanders began saying their farewells.
"Diknuo, Bamifu, I'll take my leave first."
"Hurry on back."
"Yes, go on back, don't dally."
Commander Anselm waved his hand in farewell to the comrades who had worked alongside him over the past two days. In these final remaining hours, he intended to return to his family to take a look.
To grant his request and save as much time as possible, the church had already arranged for people to lay out a direct, temporary teleportation array in his family manor.
After Anselm left, Bamifu chuckled. "How nice. I really envy him. My own family died out long ago."
Diknuo shook his head. "I don't envy him. I never even married."
Bamifu replied, "Not being married doesn't mean you have no descendants."
"Are bastards that interesting?"
"I used to think they weren't. Now, I'm quite glad I was so promiscuous back then. Two thousand years after my death, my clan got involved in a political struggle among the church's upper echelons, backed the wrong side, and every single clan member was exiled to a pioneering space. Then that space fell... complete extermination."
"Every last one?"
"Every last one. The entire clan was condemned and relocated en masse to guard the border."
"My condolences."
"It's fine. It happened two thousand years after I died, so unimaginably long ago from now. I really don't feel much sorrow over it."
"You certainly have a healthy perspective."
"On the other hand, I did leave behind quite a few illegitimate children. One of the families established within the church by one of those bastards has lasted all the way to this day. Its influence is far greater than the Anselm family's. The current family head is an active vice commander in the Knight Order.
"The Cardinal Council dug all of that up for me, haha."
"Then why not go back and have a look?"
"Look at what? Run over and tell them, 'Why, my dear children, I come bearing wonderful news—the very first portrait of your ancestral forefather is a bastard!'"
Saying that, Bamifu rolled his eyes. "I've only got one day left. Why go out of my way to disgust people?"
"Fair point."
"Speaking of which, why do I feel like something is off about you?"
"Hm? Is there?"
"Of course there is. Remember yesterday's Stage Three draft proposal?"
"I remember. What about it?"
"I noticed that in the time it took me to drink a cup of coffee, you drafted thirty versions. Then you deliberately burned time to stay in sync with us, and when it came time to compile them, you only handed in three."
"That's because the other twenty-seven were garbage, just filler."
"You could fool Krede, because he wasn't watching us in the war room the entire time we worked. But you can't fool me, and you can't fool Anselm.
"It's our intuition. Without it, we would have been done in by enemy commanders on the battlefield long ago. You can't fight a war relying solely on intelligence. No matter how perfect a battle plan is, half of it is crippled the moment the magic crystal cannons fire.
"I'm curious: are you deliberately hiding your ability?"
"What would be the point of doing that?"
"Exactly, what's the point?" Bamifu spread his hands. "You only get three days after waking up, yet you're still hiding your abilities. I can't fathom your motive—unless your awakening lasts longer than three days."
"You're getting more and more ridiculous."
"This generation never experienced the age of gods, but we did. So we know that the more absurd something sounds, the closer it often is to the truth."
Bamifu paused, his brows suddenly furrowing. Leaning his neck back, he stared at Diknuo.
"Were you chosen?"
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing at all." Bamifu reached out and patted Diknuo on the shoulder. "Pass on my most devout praise for me. My personal conduct in life might not have been the best, but my faith is beyond reproach."
Diknuo looked at Bamifu without speaking.
Both of them had been outstanding commanders of the previous era, figures at the legion commander level, and on paper, Bamifu's resume was even more glittering.
As long as one seized on the premise that Diknuo was concealing his abilities and reasoned out that single possibility, everything made sense.
After all, only the supreme Lord possessed the power to grant a second chance at life.
Believers of this era worshipped the Temple of Order simply because it was said to be the place closest to god;
Back in their day, if they performed well enough and achieved great merits, they could be granted an audience with the relevant lords.
Bamifu said, "That's the biggest difference between people from the age of deities and people of this era. We don't have cognitive shackles."
Diknuo suddenly asked, "Don't you feel fortunate?"
"Fortunate?"
"Look at the present. Even the believers of the church... have grown accustomed to an existence without gods."
"You're right. Offer an extra praise for me—make it sincere, and it'd be best if you could mention my name. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
It was as good as a tacit admission.
"Care for a soak? I had them draw the water."
"Sure."
Bamifu and Diknuo made their way to the lounge area, which was connected to a small world. It boasted picturesque scenery and two hot springs.
Beside the hot springs lay exquisitely prepared, precious delicacies and fine wine.
If desired, courtesans could even be arranged.
Indeed, catering to every preference, the priests of the Cardinal Council could immediately summon the ideal companions through teleportation arrays. Even priestesses devoted to the Goddess Miers were an option; they were more than happy to earn that special extra income.
This was considered the highest tier of "retirement benefits" within the church. The downside was the steep cost, but the upside was that it lasted only a brief time.
Bamifu and Diknuo shed their robes and stepped into adjacent hot spring pools.
"I'm curious, did it happen while you were alive...?"
"At the moment of my death."
"How did you manage it?"
"I just did."
"Fine, I won't pry. I want to leave lighthearted. Oh, right, will your funeral be held together with mine?"
"Different burial grounds."
"Can you have them changed so we're together? Just say that though we had a big age difference, the past two days of working together made us feel like old friends."
"I can."
"Thanks. Though in that case, I'll have to..." Bamifu snapped his fingers, and a black raven descended. "Extracurricular activities canceled."
The black raven flew off.
Diknuo asked, "What extracurricular activities did you arrange?"
"Ten working priestesses from the Church of Goddess Miers. The deposit was quite steep."
"Isn't that a pity?"
"Not at all, not a bit of pity! Haha, hahahaha!"
Bamifu slapped the water, looking like a mischievous child who had never grown up.
Once he calmed down a little, he raised a glass of red wine, took a sip, and said, "I'm starting to envy those fellows who are still slumbering. They should be able to await our Lord's summons and follow our Lord into battle."
Diknuo sighed. "I'm not good at comforting people."
"Understood, and I don't need your comfort. No matter how many regrets I have, just thinking of our Lord makes them all fade away."
Diknuo splashed water onto his face, thinking to himself: *Our Lord seems quite good at comforting people, though.*
After their bath and a meal, the two lay side by side on the grass beside a stream.
Without excessive words or heightened emotions, both sought quietness in this moment—one quietly awaiting death, the other quietly awaiting rebirth.
***
A carriage from the Yorktown Region arrived at the gates of the Holy See. As it approached the security checkpoint, Karen saw Weigulin.
Weigulin stepped forward with a smile, speaking with deep deference. "My Lord, allow me to arrange your transport to the administrative temple."
Today, the High Priest was scheduled to hold a personal press conference. Karen had not received an explicit invitation to attend, but if he wished to go, he certainly could.
The Whip-Wielder had already arrived, and upon receiving notice of Karen's teleportation, Weigulin had come to wait for him of his own accord.
"My apologies, you've misunderstood. I came to the Holy See for other matters."
"This..."
Weigulin froze for a moment, unable to understand what could possibly be more important than attending the High Priest's press conference.
In truth, to Karen, the press conference was both important and unimportant, because he already knew what the High Priest was going to announce. If he attended, it would merely be to enhance his "sense of historical participation." In essence, it was no different from people visiting this place thousands or tens of thousands of years in the future.
By comparison, the other matter was far more important: he was here to pick up the commander he had chosen.
The carriage rolled into the Holy See. Along the way, Karen flipped through the classified intelligence documents in his hands.
According to the file, teams affiliated with the Church of the Abyss had excavated Dicarost's tomb, publicly claiming it was for cultural relic preservation.
It was a solid excuse—just as solid as when Karen had excavated ruins in the desert under the pretext of preventing church relics from being ravaged by the desert civil war.
The true objective was that the Church of the Abyss hoped to uncover practical secrets from Dicarost's tomb. As for what those secrets were meant to prepare for, it was practically spelled out:
To welcome the return of their god.
Karen guessed that this was likely related to "Heaven."
As divine oracles and strange phenomena occurred with increasing frequency, the various churches had gradually shifted from initial joy and shock toward pragmatism. They had begun making preparations to help their respective primary deities recover upon their return.
The Church of Life had gone so far as to blood-sacrifice human populations across seven captive small worlds, all merely to prepare a few cups of the "red wine" that the two legendary Gods of Life were said to favor most.
Of course, another theory held that the Church of Life was bolstering its defensive reserves; after all, the Church of Order's "friendly in-depth cooperation lottery" had put their nerves completely on edge.
Karen shook his head. The tragedy of small worlds lay in the fact that the Code of Order did not cover them.
Even so, the Church of Order had issued an official communiqué expressing verbal concern over the act.
Soon, physical concern would follow.
In Dicarost's tomb, the burial goods were likely the most important; the corpse itself was secondary. But the Church of the Abyss would probably be unwilling to loan out the corpse as an exhibit, especially to the Church of Order, because everyone knew that pairing a corpse with the Church of Order tended to produce wondrous reactions.
Still, it was no major issue...
Once Order made its move against Life, Karen decided he would ask Ukonga to demand, in his capacity as a temple elder, that the Church of the Abyss loan out Dicarost's remains for a small private exhibition.
When that time came, this roommate reunion across a thousand years could finally take place.
No, wait... there was still Budalas.
Budalas was resting in the First Knight Order. Setting aside how difficult it would be to pull him out, Karen was more worried that if Budalas was awakened merely for a class reunion, would the former High Priest who had led Order to victory against Light go mad with rage?
*Sigh.*
Karen lightly rubbed the space between his brows. Organizing a class reunion was truly difficult.
The carriage drove into the Cardinal Council. Stepping out, Karen entered the small world.
A group of people was already waiting outside. Among them, Karen saw the elderly nun sisters.
Both were rather surprised to see Karen arrive.
In fact, Karen accompanying them to the First Knight Order last time had already caught them off guard.
"I'm accustomed to seeing things through from beginning to end."
Karen offered this reason, not needing to completely convince them anyway.
"I'll go inside to take a look first."
Karen stepped inside, while the people outside continued waiting for the spiritual power in the two commanders to burn out completely, bringing their final deaths.
Diknuo and Bamifu were both seated on chairs. Time could be adjusted within the small world, but they were not watching the sunset; they were admiring a sunrise.
"A sunrise..."
Karen let out a soft murmur of appreciation.
Bamifu glanced at Karen, raised an arm, and said, "Now this is the optimism of an Order believer, haha!"
Diknuo, however, rose from his seat and faced Karen. "You have arrived, my Lord."
Bamifu froze. One had to understand that even when speaking with Krede, they never used honorifics.
Then, as if struck by a realization, Bamifu stood up, his knees turning to jelly.
Fortunately, before he could collapse to his knees, Diknuo supported him in time.
In a trembling voice, he stammered, "You... have... come?"
Immediately after, tears and snot poured forth uncontrollably—an utter collapse of emotional composure.
Yet this sight did not arouse any suspicion from those waiting outside, because in the final moments after awakening, a person's body and mind would fall into numbness, losing the vitality they had at the start.
Karen stepped forward and took Bamifu's hand. Bamifu did not dare grip it back; instead, he shrank away, clutching Diknuo's robe to steady himself as he wept:
"I am guilty. My personal life was improper. I disgraced Order. I am guilty..."
When chatting with Diknuo earlier, he had still taken pride in having left behind many illegitimate children. Yet now, facing Karen, his repentance was deeply sincere.
Then, Bamifu crossed his arms over his chest.
"Praise... the great God of Order."
Diknuo made the same gesture.
The priests waiting outside lowered their heads together, silently offering praise in their hearts. They subconsciously assumed this was the two commanders' final prayer before death, and no one scrutinized the detail that the direction of their praise was facing Karen.
The two commanders lay down in their coffins. Bamifu wore a smile, while Diknuo looked solemn.
Karen signaled for the priests outside to enter and transfer the coffins to their chosen burial grounds.
Just as the group exited the Cardinal Council, they saw the priests of the Holy See moving about in great haste, visibly agitated, while even the patrolling guards brimmed with fiery passion.
High Priest Norton of the Church of Order had just declared:
"Order declares war on the Church of Life!"
Chapter 875